Historical Winnipeg discussion - Page 54

Winnipegger@Heart · #**1061** Posted **Feb 7, 2010, 4:51 AM**

Biff · #**1062** Posted **Feb 7, 2010, 4:59 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Winnipegger@Heart

St. James, 1967

Holy Shit! Is that a cop walking the beat?

.......by the way, i love the look of all the signs.

Kinguni · #**1063** Posted **Feb 7, 2010, 7:29 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Biff

Holy Shit! Is that a cop walking the beat?

.......by the way, i love the look of all the signs.

As it looks now. Looked far better in '67.

Winnipegger@Heart · #**1064** Posted **Feb 7, 2010, 9:20 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Biff

Holy Shit! Is that a cop walking the beat?

.......by the way, i love the look of all the signs.

Me too--that is what is missing from Portage Ave...all the signs!

rgalston · #**1065** Posted **Feb 7, 2010, 9:32 PM**

Portage Avenue was signs, and storefronts. Most of that stretch of St. James is there today, but lacks the texture.

St. James was Manitoba's third or fourth largest city at the time (can't remember if Brandon was bigger).

Andy6 · #**1066** Posted **Feb 7, 2010, 9:49 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by rgalston

Portage Avenue was signs, and storefronts. Most of that stretch of St. James is there today, but lacks the texture.

St. James was Manitoba's third or fourth largest city at the time (can't remember if Brandon was bigger).

No, St. James-Assiniboia was second and St. Boniface third.

bryanscott · #**1067** Posted **Feb 8, 2010, 5:17 AM**

That St. James shot is incredible. The signs. The cop. The people. Nothing like that exits in the city today.

rgalston · #**1068** Posted **Feb 8, 2010, 9:08 PM**

Also, those guys in flannel jackets are what every male hipster in 2010 wishes they could dress like.

bryanscott · #**1069** Posted **Feb 8, 2010, 9:33 PM**

I can kinda sorta understand why these signs disappeared in the 50s and 60s. Modernism pushed them out in favor of the clean and simple approach. Evidently, none of the modernist thinkers figured that starkness and blandness wasn't the way to make people feel welcome.

That was then.

Nowadays, though, I can only scratch my head when it comes to the absence of interesting signage. Why don't businesses care anymore about the image that they put out on the street? I realize that signage is extremely expensive (especially sculpted neon signs), but as someone who works in advertising, I would have to say that a sexy storefront is the best advertisement a business could possibly have. There's only a very small handful of establishments in Winnipeg that have put money (and thought) into their signage over the last few years, and it definitely shows.

rgalston · #**1070** Posted **Feb 9, 2010, 2:34 PM**

Adrian (and Bryan S., too) will likely appreciate this: a photo of that North Point Douglas landmark, Metro Meats at the corner of Euclid and Grove St., 1978.

1ajs · #**1071** Posted **Feb 9, 2010, 4:11 PM**

funny does not look the 70's

were did you find that rob?

drew · #**1072** Posted **Feb 9, 2010, 4:19 PM**

1ajs: we need a current picture from today from the same angle to compare...!

nordique · #**1073** Posted **Feb 9, 2010, 7:01 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by bryanscott

Nowadays, though, I can only scratch my head when it comes to the absence of interesting signage. Why don't businesses care anymore about the image that they put out on the street? I realize that signage is extremely expensive (especially sculpted neon signs), but as someone who works in advertising, I would have to say that a sexy storefront is the best advertisement a business could possibly have. There's only a very small handful of establishments in Winnipeg that have put money (and thought) into their signage over the last few years, and it definitely shows.

this is true. actually, the only recent example that is coming to mind is 'Rooster' on River and Osborne, they have a beaut of a sign day or night.

bryanscott · #**1074** Posted **Feb 9, 2010, 8:05 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by nordique

this is true. actually, the only recent example that is coming to mind is 'Rooster' on River and Osborne, they have a beaut of a sign day or night.

Yes. Cafe 22 on Corydon is another good one.

1ajs · #**1075** Posted **Feb 9, 2010, 11:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by drew

1ajs: we need a current picture from today from the same angle to compare...!

fresh off the camera

drew · #**1076** Posted **Feb 10, 2010, 4:23 AM**

^ awesome - thanks for that.

It looks pretty much identical. Nice to see that the tree is still there, hasn't grown much in 30 plus years though.

rgalston · #**1077** Posted **Feb 10, 2010, 1:56 PM**

I should point out that Metro Meats neighbor's green picket fence (far left) was replaced only recently. I love old fences like these whenever they are found.

1ajs · #**1078** Posted **Feb 10, 2010, 4:24 PM**

yea the fence was ony recenty replaced

and speaking of old fences theres a 100 yr old one made of concreat panels on our st kinda a odd ball but still kinda neat it managed to survive all these yrs

The Jabroni · #**1079** Posted **Feb 11, 2010, 12:13 AM**

At least the house and store was reno'd, at least on the outside.

Good to see they're still in business!

Winnipegger@Heart · #**1080** Posted **Feb 11, 2010, 2:49 AM**

No kidding--I braced myself for some decaying store, but it, along with the adjacent house looks great; actually, it look sbetter today!